


When the sea sings to you

by Serahne



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: F/M, It's based on a very short piece that I've written for Komaeda's birthday, Komahina is the main ship, M/M, Sondam features a lot but is secondary, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-17 03:15:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16508315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serahne/pseuds/Serahne
Summary: Written for the NaNoWrimo 2018 - When the Novoselic’s crown princess Sonia Nevermind disappears, the blame is put on her friend and servant Komaeda. He is asked to go and find the missing princess in the Human World, under the threat to never be welcomed in the ocean again if he failed. A fairytale... with a twist.





	1. CHAPTER ONE : When a storm is brewing

Sometimes, Komaeda wondered when he had stopped being surprised whenever things ended up in a disaster.

“What do you mean, she disappeared?”

King Nevermind’s tone was cold, careful, and utterly menacing. Komaeda would have liked nothing more than to swim away as fast as he could, and wait for the storm to pass, but he knew it wouldn’t do him any good : not when the King’s anger was specifically directed at him. Thus, instead of fleeing, he bowed his head, hoping that the most powerful being of the Novoselic would allow him to defend himself.

The Queen was quiet, sitting next to her husband on her own throne, but her worry was obvious. The Queen of the Novoselic was everything that one expects from someone her rank : not only was she one of the most beautiful mermaid through the Seven Seas, she was also graceful, kind and devoted to her people and her husband.

It was a shame that her only daughter - and future heir to the crown - didn’t seem set on following her steps, too busy entertaining herself and putting her life in danger anytime she had the possibility to do so.

“Do you have any idea where she could be ?” The Queen asked, putting a soothing hand on her husband’s arm. “She promised me she would be there to discuss the next visit of the Grohl Kingdom’s ambassadors. I’m scared something happened to her…”

“Oh, come on darling,” the King rolled his eyes, temporarily forgetting the presence of a servant in the room . “We both know how Sonia is. Nothing happened to her beside her stubborn character. I’m guessing that she decided it wasn’t fun enough for her, and wandered near the surface again. And Komaeda was useless, as aways.”

Komaeda bit his lips, silently agreeing with the King’s assumption. He had known Sonia for the longest time - he had become her personal servant when they were both eight, though his only job back then had been to entertain the Princess and to become her friend - and if there was one thing he knew about her, it was that while she absolutely adored her people, her mind was too bright and adventurous to not be bored with her royal status. A diplomatic visit would be the closest thing to Hell in her eyes.

“Actually,” the King said, narrowing his eyes in Komaeda’s direction. “Are you really that useless, or are you my daughter’s accomplice in all this ? Does she even have to fool you anymore, or do you just look the other way and let her do as she pleases ?”

Komaeda opened his mouth to defend himself but the Queen was faster than him.

“Oh please, my love. Komaeda has been the Princess’ loyal friend for the longest time.”

“And maybe she needs better friends,” the King replied. “Friends who wouldn’t let her neglect her duties like she does. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, now. Sonia is sixteen, wouldn’t she be more at ease with a maid as her personal servant ?”

Komaeda gulped. He didn’t know what to say, this time. He had never thought he deserved to be Sonia’s closest servant. His hiring was… well, for lack of better term, charity on the Queen’s part after the tragic death of his parents. Nothing else could justify his position, and the rest of the merfolks knew it as well. If the King decided to replace him, it would only be for the better. For everyone, except for Komaeda.

Who cared about Komaeda ?

“Let’s talk about it later,” the Queen said with indulgence. “Our priority is to find the Princess. Komaeda, please find our precious daughter as quickly as possible.”

He bowed deeply.

“I will do my best, your majesty.”

*

As it stood, finding the Princess wasn’t that easy. Komaeda suspected that Sonia was swimming near the surface, but even with this first hint, the ocean was dark, huge, and unfriendly. After two hours of frantic search, Komaeda stopped, exhausted, and let himself be carried around by the marine currents.

And that’s when he noticed familiar blond hair floating nearby.

“Princess ?” Komaeda asked in disbelief.

He couldn’t believe his luck, though he also cursed the cruel irony of it, for he had been searching for her for so long, just to find her as he gave up. He swam in direction of the Princess, who seemed almost in a hurry to reach the surface, from how fast she was moving.

“Princess !” He called after her. “Princess Sonia, your parents are looking for you and they asked me to…”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence, but it didn’t matter, for the King of Novoselic’s only daughter was clearly not listening to him anyway. The girl had a gift for causing - and finding - troubles. Her curiosity, her stubborness, and the irresistible attraction she had for humans would have been charming on anyone else, Komaeda thought, but Sonia wasn’t your everyday mermaid : she was to be Queen, someday.

He swam faster, and did his best to try and keep up with the young mermaid.

“Princess Sonia,” he tried again once he was close enough that she couldn’t pretend not to hear him. “You shouldn’t be here, we are almost at the limits of the Novoselic Kingdom. Didn’t you promise your mother that you would attend a meeting this morning ? She was worried about you, you know.”

Sonia hummed in reply, but didn’t say anything.

Komaeda was aware of how jealous other merfolks were of his position, and yet, he would bet anything that none of them would have the patience to deal with the Princess’ antics. No matter what argument Komaeda used, no matter what advice he offered her, Sonia kept returning to the surface, claiming that the humans’ world was so ‘interesting’.

“Here we are !” Sonia cheered when they finally reached the surface.

Komaeda blinked a few times - everything was so bright on the surface - but he barely had the time to get used to his new environnement, for the Princess was already swimming away.

“Where are you going ? We are close enough to the shore that there might be fishermen around here, you know ?” Komaeda warned her, trying his best to not let annoyance pierce through his voice.

“Come on, Komaeda !” Sonia replied with a bell-like laugh. “What’s life without a little risk ! I want to swim toward the beach. I want to see if there are humans there ! Is that alright ?”

Of course, she didn’t wait for an answer, and Komaeda closed his eyes for a second, before letting out a deep sigh. He couldn’t lose the princess, not now. He would entertain her little obsession, and then he would convince her to come back with him. How long could she observe humans before getting bored, anyway ?

Komaeda couldn’t understand Sonia’s feelings about them : not only did they routinely killed merfolks by accident, but their legs were… so unappealing. They couldn’t swim properly with that, but neither could they fly, or run quickly. They also looked plain ugly, but he supposed it was a matter of taste. Merfolks - and especially mermaids - took a lot of pride in their appearance : they spent hours intertwining seashells in their hair, or painting their skin with special paste made from algae. Sonia, being the crown Princess, even wore necklaces of pearls.

Humans ? They covered their bodies with some kind of fabric, and called it a day.

He had never told Sonia how utterly worthless the humans were to his eyes, but that was his opinion, and there was nothing to do about it.

He followed Sonia until the shore was visible and the Princess swam all the way far ahead of him, eager and full of energy. They stopped at a reasonable distance from the land - that was still way too close in Komaeda’s opinion - and hid behind the largest rock they could find. Sonia was so excited, she was almost squealing.

“Princess, please…” Komaeda started.

He could have been talking to the sky, it would have been just as effective. Sonia peeked from behind the rock, and her tail started wiggling around excitedly.

“Oh look, he is there !” She whispered, more to herself than Nagito.

Sonia’s tone set off the alarms inside Komaeda’s head. He had a bad feeling about this _he_ the princess was talking about. He really, really hoped that Sonia wasn’t careless enough that she would seek the contact with a human during one of her escapade near the land. It was a well-known rule that humans weren’t allowed to know about the existence of of merfolks, and while the princess was a little reckless, Komaeda couldn’t imagine she would put her people at risk.

“He's so… handsome !” Sonia sighed, dreamily. She turned toward Komaeda. “What do you think ? Doesn’t he look great ?”

Komaeda frowned, but charitably looked in the direction the Princess was pointing at. He frowned a little : the human she was cooing over was… well, maybe slightly more interesting than the others, he had to admit it. He was wearing some kind of makeup, and even a jewelry on one of his ear. He supposed Sonia had picked the less boring of the lot. Yet…

“Princess,” he tried his best to stay calm. “Humans aren’t worthy of your time, I assure you.”

Sonia gave him a curious look.

“How do you know that ? Did you ever talked to one of them ?”

“What ? _No_ , of course I didn’t. But you do realize they eat fishes, right ?”

“And so do we !” Sonia replied vehemently.

“Of course we do,” Komaeda clicked his tongue, annoyed. “What else are we supposed to eat if we live in the ocean ? But the humans are so greedy ! They go after everything on the land, everything in the sea, everything in the sky… please, Princess, you know that they would destroy us if they knew about us.”

“Don’t say anything more !” Sonia said, clearly upset.

Komaeda immediately shut his mouth. The Princess looked betrayed by his words, and he knew he had definitely lost her on this matter. After a last offended glance in his direction, and a longing one toward the beach, she disappeared under the waves.

 _That went as well as one could have expected_ , Komaeda thought, fatalist. Time to go back to the King and the Queen, and to announce them the news.

*

Turned out that Komaeda had drifted away from the palace while looking for Sonia, and had gotten himself lost. He needed more time than he thought to go back, and the night was already about to fall on the Novoselic’s Kingdom when he was allowed to see the royal couple.

“Komaeda,” the Queen offered him a curt nod.

He immediately felt that something was off : she was a lot more restless than a few hours earlier, and Komaeda started to worry that Sonia hadn’t made it back to the palace yet. That sounded… unlikely. As restless and slippery the Princess could be, she was still kind and responsible enough to not worry her parents this way.

_Unless something had happened to her._

A feeling of dread spread through him, and he felt a shiver run through his body.

_The ocean could be dangerous._

He knew that too well.

“Did you find our daughter ?” The King urged him, confirming his fear.

“No. I saw her a few hours ago, but she didn’t want to listen. She was safe,” he added quickly, hoping to appease them - it didn’t work. “I thought… I thought that she would have been back by now.”

Komaeda’s defense was poor, and he knew it - after all, it was his job to look after Sonia and to make sure that the Princess didn’t spend the night somewhere out of the palace. Sonia’s life was important, as the sole heir to the throne. The entire future of the Kingdom was on her frail shoulder, and Komaeda should have been more careful.

But then again, what would it have changed ? It’s not like he had the power to change anything, right ? Things happened, and Komaeda lived through them, that was the natural order of things.

The royal couple fell silent.

Komaeda was frozen where he stood, the cogs in his brain turning, trying to imagine any place where the princess could be. The best option would be that she had been so upset by her argument with Komaeda that she had swam too far, and had lost her way. The worst was that she had been caught - or killed - by something or someone.

_When I left her, we were in an area where humans come to fish._

Should he say it ?

He opened his mouth, but before any word managed to get out, he heard a loud bang behind him, as the Throne Room’s doors were slammed open. A young mermaid barged into the room, followed by a Royal attendant.

“Young lady,” the attendant was trying to catch up to the girl. “The King and the Queen are busy.”

“But this is important,” she replied, so upset that Komaeda could see tears in her eyes. “It’s about the Princess ! Something terrible happened to her.”

The Queen tensed perceptibly, and the King focused all his attention on the newcomer, but for some reason, Komaeda felt something like serenity fill him : he had been afraid to hold Sonia’s future in his decision, but if there was nothing to do anymore, then he could just sit back and watch, couldn’t he ?

“Talk.” The King ordered.

The mermaid bowed a few times - still way too agitated for someone meeting the royal family but neither the Queen nor the King seemed to care - then started to talk.

“I saw her swimming alone, near the surface !” She almost cried. “I was so surprised to see her so far away from the palace, but I didn’t want to bother her, of course ! And then… and then…” Crushed, she was at lost for word.

“And then ?” Komaeda prompted her - a little rude maybe, but the girl was annoying.

“There… there was a boat.” She admitted. “Fishermen, I think. They… caught her. I couldn’t move, I’m so sorry ! I was too far away, and I was too scared and…” She stopped talking for a moment, hesitating. “She tried to fight, but she disappeared out of my sight, still imprisoned in the humans’ net”

“Was she hurt ?” The Queen asked without wasting time.

The mermaid shook her head, slowly. “I don’t think she was, but I’m worried. What will the humans do when they found out they caught her ? Oh, I’m so sorry,” she lamented again. “Maybe if I acted soon enough...”

The king waved his hand to stop her, and she fell silent. He was still remarkably composed, considering the circumstances.

“It was not your responsibility to watch over my daughter, you don’t have to blame yourself.” He said, before turning toward Komaeda. His eyes were as cold as ice, and in spite of himself, Komaeda felt a shiver running down his spine. “It was your responsibility. I never considered you competent, but I didn’t think you would have the royal Princess captured under your watch.”

Komaeda bowed his head, apologetic, for there was nothing else he could do beside taking the King’s wrath. If tearing him to pieces could make him feel better, then Komaeda wouldn’t fight back.

“Please,” the Queen said, softly, almost pleading. “There is more pressing issues to take care of, right now.”

“Is there ?” The king replied coldly. “I don’t think so. What I think is that if this servant had done his job properly, we wouldn’t have these more pressing issues.” He took a deep breath, before talking directly to Komaeda. “I could never stand you, you know. My wife pitied you after what happened to your parents, and part of me did, too. And that’s why we gave you this position.”

“And I’m incredibly lucky to be... “ Komaeda started, but didn’t get to finish.

“But I never liked you. I never thought you were someone reliable. You stood there, waiting for things to happen. You let Sonia roam around freely, no matter how important her life is to this Kingdom. You let her do what she wanted, and then you come here and act sorry ? Isn’t that easy ? Isn’t that convenient ?”

Komaeda kept quiet, and didn’t dare look at the king directly. The room was filled with a loud, uncomfortable silence, where he could hear the sound of his own heartbeat in ears. Finally, the king exhaled slowly.

“You are going to find my daughter and bring her back,” he said.

Komaeda frowned. “I don’t think there is anything I can do if she was captured by humans. I can’t leave the ocean.”

There was another silence.

“This can be arranged,” the Novoselic’s king replied calmly, and Komaeda was so shocked by it that he raised his head, meeting the determined eyes of his ruler. “Komaeda Nagito. As a punishment for neglecting your duties, and letting my daughter and the future Queen of the Novoselic being caught by humans, I’m sending you to the humans’ territory. You have three days to bring Sonia back to the Palace. If she isn’t there when the sun sets on the third day, then this punishment will be commuted into permanent exile, and you will be forbidden to ever set a foot in the ocean again.”

Komaeda’s eyes widened as he understood what was going to happen to him. He looked for the queen’s support, who offered her a small, apologetic smile, but didn’t do anything to stop his husband. The king raised a hand toward him.

Komaeda closed his eyes, shaking like a leaf.

And then everything went black.


	2. CHAPTER TWO : When you're lost at sand

When Komaeda woke up, the first thing he did was throwing up half of the ocean. Eyes blurres by painful tears, barely able to breath, a hand tightly clutching his belly as his stomach twisted and contracted, he offered without a doubt a pitiful picture. Not only was it the most uncomfortable experience he had been through in his life, it was also _humiliating_. 

Mermaids lived in harmony with the ocean : it protected them, it fed them, it gave them life. Komaeda had always felt water flowing gently through his body. Not anymore.

Feeling like death, he collapsted on the ground while trying to catch a breath - even filling his lungs with air was painful. He was still wet, and the sand stuck to his body, making him feel gross and dirty.

“I... I’m alive...” he breathed out, for the sake of hearing his own voice. His throat burnt like hell because of the salty water, and he whined miserably.

He was exhausted. One part of him just wanted to close his eyes and wait for death to come and take him away, but he also knew it was impossible : if the King had wanted him dead, he would have killed him. Komaeda’s punishment wasn’t so kind that he could stay entirely passive through it.

Slowly, carefully, he sat up, and looked around him. He was on an empty beach. The sea wasn’t far away, and he wondered if he had just been carried on the beach by the gentle rolling of the waves. The night had fallen some time ago, and the chilling wind made him shuder, but, under his touch, the sand was still warm from the sunny afternoon. 

His eyes kept coming back to the sea where the ascending moon was reflected, turning the dark waters into a shiny, beautiful mirror. His chest tightened painfully.

He had been kicked out of the only place he had ever known.

The thought was so depressing, and yet it was hardly the most upsetting thing. Scared of what he was going to find, he braced himself and finally turned his eyes toward the lower part of his body.

Except that ‘his’ body wasn’t his anymore. Instead of the pale green tail he had been used to all these years - nothing breathtaking, even a bit dull when compred to most of the mermaids out there, but still irrevocably _his_ \- he now owned a pair of long, frail-looking legs that stuck out of his body like an abnormality. Without thinking, he pinched the skin right over his keens, and his muscles spasmed.

He had no idea how to use whatever these were. Humans’ legs always seemed unpractictal to Komaeda. He had also read somewhere that baby humans needed months - something _a year_ before they mastered this skill. As a mermaid, he had no instinct when it came to walking.

_I don’t have one year_ , Komaeda thought frantically, trying to twist his body around as much as he could. _I only have three days_.

Three days if the princess wasn’t dead, of course. If she was, then he would have all the time in the world to learn how to deal with these abberations. The idea alone made him almost sick again, but he managed to calm down.

Humans hadn’t seen mermaids in dozens of years, and hadn’t captured one in centuries. _Surely, they wouldn’t kill off the first one they come across just like that_ , he tried to convince himself. _Their people are curious, they like to study new things, to discover lands and to study the unknown, right ?_

He wasn’t sure how he managed this feat, but he eventually figured out that he could crawl on the sand, at least, dragging his useless legs behind him. He tried to make his way far from the sea : staying on the beach wouldn’t help him in his condition. Not that he had idea about what _would_ help him, but he guessed he should find a place for the night where he wouldn’t freeze to death. He was entirely naked, with the exception of a necklace Sonia had made him a few months ago, and his skin was already as cold as ice.

Crawling around could only take him so far, however, as the beach was separated from the rest of the land by a dam - a dam that one could only get access to by climbing stairs made of stone. After painfully ripping his thighs on the first step - _ouch_ \- he had to admit it : he had to get up and walk. He wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything if he didn’t. Humans could do it, right ? So it was possible, no matter how difficult it seemed.

Tentatively, Komaeda leaned against the sea wall and tried to lift his body, his weight falling on his - stupid ! - legs. He collapsed after barly a few seconds and fell flat on his face.

“I must try again,” he mumbled to no one in particular, “I have to...”

And he tried. And tried _again_. And again, and again, and again. And each time, he fell on his back or his face - or his butt, when he was lucky - without making any progress. He knew he had to be doing something wrong, but he didn’t know _what_ exactly, and he certainly had no damn idea how to fix it.

He was ding nothing beside exhausting himself and hurting his hands when he gripped at the wall too tightly.

Then, as if to make fun of him, the rain came, cold and unforgiving.

It was too much.

“Shit...” Komaeda whimpered.

He curled up his body, and put his head on top of his knees to try and fight the cold. “Why can’t it be easier...” He tried to take a deep breath, but everything was so difficult and painful, and how come that only a few hours before, he was still chasing after Sonia, without taking the time to appreciate how amazing the ocean was.

“I’m stupid, stupid, stupid.” He repeated to himself, hardly able to differentiate his words from his thoughts. He put his head between his legs, as if that could be enough to block out the entire situation. “I’m so stupid and useless and...”

“Hey ! I someone still there ?”

For a second, Komaeda thought he had imagined the voice. He looked around, squinting to try and see through the rain that was now steadily pouring. Finally, he noticed that someone was indeed there, standing on top of the stairs. It was a man, that much he could see - but not much else. He was entirely covered with thick clothing that protected him from the rain.

Komaeda froze on the spot, eyes wide and terrified, cursing his luck and unable to say anything. _Maybe if I don’t make a noise, he will go away ?_ The strategy didn’t succeed however, and the newcomer started to climb down the stairs.

“You shouldn’t stay on the beach !” He told him with an annoyed voice, getting alarmingly close to where Komaeda was sitting. “Even if you don’t have a place to stay, they opened the Community Center, so you can be safe here. Everyone is saying that the storm is going to be nasty.”

He moved close enough to finally distinguishi Komaeda’s features, and suddenly stopped. His eyes went from Komaeda’s naked form to the blood on his legs, then went up to his face. The annoyed frown from earlier melted away, and horror took its place. Komaeda instinctively shriveled up some more, feeling way too exposed and vulnerable with a human looking at him like that.

“Shit,” the human hissed when he noticed the gesture. He sounded even more terrified than Komaeda felt. “I didn’t see... shit, did someone hurt you ? Are you okay ?”

_Yes, everything is fine_ was the first answer that sprung to his mind - avoiding humans as much as he could seemed like the way to go in his opinion - but he bit his lips before he allowed the words to come out. He wasn’t fine. He had been trying to climb the stairs for hours without any kind of progress.

“I... I can’t walk.” He admitted quietly. Then, louder for he wasn’t sure the human had heard him. “I just can’t walk !”

The other nodded, but still seemed very lost.

“Yeah, okay,” he nodded without moving an inch. “You can’t walk. Shit.”

He took a deep breath, trying to assess the situation. Komaeda almost sighed in frustration. Not only was he unlucky enough to be found by a human in that awful situation, but the human wasn’t even the sharpest tool in the box. If he was just going to stand there awkwardly, he could just as well let him alone, for all the good it was doing.

Finally, the human slowly took off one layer of his clothing, still staring at Komaeda as if he expected him to grow a second head or something, then kneeled on the sand, in front of him. He extended a hand toward Komaeda, offering him the piece of clothes. Komaeda narrowed his eyes, suspicious, and the human managed to look even more uncomfortable.

He put the piece of clothes on the ground, in front of Komaeda.

“It’s just...” he mumbled. “To cover yourself, or something. I only have my jacket, sorry.” He grimaced, realizing how uncomfortable he sounded. “I really don’t know what to do...”

Komaeda blinked, slowly, then shrugged and accepted the gift, before wrapping himself in it. The human relaxed a little, though the way he was looking at him as if he was a ticking bomb didn’t change. One part of him found ironic that the human was squirming the way he was, as if he was one at disadvantage here.

The human took a deep breath. “Do you have anyone I could call that could help you ?” Komaeda shook his head no, and the other cursed under his breath. “You must be living somewhere, right ?”

Komaeda rolled his eyes at the question. Obviously, _duh_.

“Hey, I’m trying to help you and you aren’t cooperating ! I didn’t exactly expect to run into someone on my way home !” The human shook his head, trying to focus. “Listen, I’m not sure what happened to you, but you’re hurt and alonen, and you can’t stay here either. Maybe it would be better if you went to an hospital ? Doctors are going to be busy with the storm and all, but I can call an ambulance or some-”

"No !” Komaeda cut him off, and his hand jerked up and grabbed the human’s wrist.

More humans wasn’t the solution to his problems. He didn’t know what to do with himsef, or where he was supposed to go, but he knew that putting himself between ‘doctors’ ( whatever they were ) hands wouldn’t lead to anything good.

“I...” The human froze at the contact.

It was only then that Komaeda realized that he was way closer to the human than he had ever thought he would be of one only a few hours ago. Before this night, the closest he had been from one was when he tagged along with Sonia anytime her curiosity got the better of her. He had never heard the sound of a human’s voice, nor had he seen them as something more than the tine silhouettes barely discernible from one another on the beach.

And now he was _touching_ one. And the human was just as surprised by that than Komaeda himself. His eyelashes fluttered in confusion, and his lips parted a little, his eyes wide and focused on his wrist - the one Komaeda had caught.

Komaeda let it go, as if he had been burnt. They both fell silent and the only sounds Komaeda could hear for a few seconds were the pouring rain around them and their quick, panicked respirations.

“Okay, then,” the human said, quietly. “No hospital.”

“No hospital.” Komaeda repeated with a nod.

The human bit his lips, clearly trying to think about something, and Komaeda almost sighed. Wouldn’t it be easier to just leave him there ? He wasn’t that blinded by his disdain for humans that he didn’t think some of them couldn’t be kind, but that one seemed as aggravated and scared by Komaedan as Komaeda was by him.

He looked beyond the human, at the sea - dark and threatening already - and felt a shiver run along his spine in spite of himself : it was going to be a big storm, he could feel it. One part of him was curious to see how different a storm could be when you didn’t live in the ocean.

_It couldn’t be possibly worse_ , he thought.

He shook his head, doing his best to chase away unpleasant memories. He wrapped himself some more into the piece of clothing the human had given him, and did his best to focus on what the human was saying.

“It wouldn’t be right to let you here,” he told him, and Komaeda tilted his head to the side. It wouldn’t be _right_ ? Was that what motivated the human to help him ? Some kind of moral high ground that he pretended to have ? How amusing. He wondered, a bit morbidly, if the human’s behaviour would be different if he knew who Komaeda really was.

Humans weren’t known to have a lot of empathy toward those who were different, after all. In that way, they were alike to mermaids.

Lost in thoughts, he didn’t notice that the human had asked him a question and was now looking at him, expecting an answer. Komaeda narrowed his eyes.

“What ?”

“I said,” the human repeated nervously, “that you could spend the night at my house. Just for the storm !” He added quickly, as if he was worried that Komaeda would think that his offer was for more.

That sounded like a terrible, awful idea to Komaeda, and yet... he looked in the human’s eyes : he could see a mix of conflicted feelings in them like fear, worry, hesitation, sincerity. None of them set off the alarms in his heads. The human, whatever his deal was, didn’t want to hurt him, even though they were alone and hidden from sight by the night.

“Do you live alone ?” He asked.

The human nodded, then stood up, and held his hand for Komaeda to take it.

“I can’t walk,” Komaeda reminded him not-so-helpfully.

“And I can’t carry you,” the other replied in kind. “I’ll help you stand, and I’ll figure things out from there. I live ten minutes away from here, it should be do-able.”

Komaeda raised an eyebrow at the other’s sudden determination. Now that his mind was set on something, he seemed a lot less hesitant and lost than before. He took a deep breath, reached for the human’s hand, and felt his entire body pulled up by the human’s strenght. Predictably, his legs gave up under him, and he was already bracing himself for the impact with the ground when the human slid his arms around his waist and under his armpits.

That was... weird. Very weird. Komaeda wasn’t someone used to physical contact, and he didn’t remember when he has been that close to another mermaid in the past few years - not a human, a mermaid. His breath caught up in his throat when he noticed how close he was from the other in this position, their eyes meeting at such short distance.

_We are the height_ , he stupidly thought in himself.

The human smiled a bit and tightened his grip on Komaeda. “Is that okay ?”

Komaeda nodded.

The stairs were the hardest part. They needed ten minutes to climb them, the human almost dragging-carrying Komaeda through the whole thing. The rest was, in comparision, a lot easier. Sure, they were still very, very slow, and the rain and the wind made everything worse, but Komaeda slowly started to get the gist of this walking buisness by imitating the other during their little trip.

The human kept his arms securely around him the entire time, but when they reached a small house after thirty minutes, he let him go for a second to get his keys, and Komaeda managed to stand on his own, barely faltering. He couldn’t help but smile with pride at this success.

“So hum...” the human said after unlocking the door. “I wasn’t exactly expecting someone to come here. I didn’t have the time to clean up.”

Komaeda gave him a _are you kidding me ?_ look because did that look like that mattered at this moment ? The human raised his hands in defeat.

“Fine, whatever ! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He opened the door. As one could suspect from the outside, the house was very small : the door lead directly to the main room, some kind of living-room/kitchen/dining-room/bedroom fusion that was relatively well-furnished. On the opposite wall from the entrance door, another door probably lead to the bathroom.

The human made a vague gesture in direction of the room with his hand. “Welcome to my castle” he said with a tense smile. “It’s… not a lot. But it’s mine.”

He sounded way too self-conscious about the state of his living place and way too preoccupied about what a stranger that he had picked up at the beach would think of it in Komaeda’s opinion, but it was - somehow - a bit charming, he decided.

And a bit annoying too.

Komaeda shrugged in answer. He wasn’t going to go and say that the place was beautiful : after spending years in a palace, the lie would burn his throat like acid. But in the situation he was in, a broom closet would have beaten spending the night on the beach. Especially with the storm raging outside.

In a way, this human had saved his life. He could show him basic manners.

“Anyway,” the other told him. “You can go take a shower, and I’ll find you clothes for tonight. Oh, and I should prepare a mattress, too.” He grimaced. “I hope the one I have is still fine ? It’s not exactly an hotel here.”

“A mattress ?” Komaeda frowned, forgetting his vow of being polite. “Can’t I have a bed ?”

“I only have one bed. Well, it’s also a couch. The point is, it’s my bed, so it’s either the mattress, the bathtub or the floor for you, take your pick.”

Komaeda crossed his arms against his chest and narrowed his eyes, which the other interpreted as ‘fine, mattress it is’ because he let out a satisfied grunt, and moved to help Komaeda to reach the bathroom.

The feeling of warm water was god-send. After the bitter betrayal of the ocean that had rejected him, Komaeda almost cried when friendly, peaceful water finally surrounded him. His muscles relaxed, his skin softened, his entire body got rid of the sand and the dirt, and the blood that he had been covered with. He almost let out a moan of satisfaction at the feeling. This was the first pleasant experience since he had been banned, and he intended to stay here as long as possible.

Unfortunately, the water eventually turned cold, and Komaeda had to escape, draping himself in a fluffy towel, before trying the human’s clothes that fitted him almost perfectly - it was very fortunate that they were of similar built. Finally, he left the bathroom.

“Well, you took your time.” The human welcomed him back, sitting on his bed-couch with a smoking bowl of soup on his knees. “Do you want some ?”

“Hum, alright.” Komaeda replied, feeling more agreeable after his shower. “The water suddenly turned cold, by the way. That’s why I had to leave.”

“You used all the warm water ?” the human turned toward him, eyes wide. “Well, thank you very much.”

“Well you didn’t tell me not to.”

Komaeda didn’t even know why humans couldn't have all the warm water they wanted. That didn’t make any sense. If Komaeda were human, he would spend his days bathing and doing nothing but enjoying water.

“I thought it was the kind of thing that goes without saying, but look like I was wrong.”

Komaeda hummed in reply. The other wasn’t that mad at him that he took back his offer, and a few seconds later, he handed him a bowl full of soup. The liquid in itself was pretty basic and unremarkable, but after warming up the outside of his body in the shower, the first sip of soup felt like his insides were now coming back to life.

“It’s very good.” Komaeda said, and decided to finally express his gratitude to the stranger who had helped him. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”

The human seemed a little embarrassed.

“Uh, thanks ? It’s just flavoured powder and warm water, you know.”

“It’s alright, I like warm water.”

The human snorted at that, and happily took a sip from his own bown before replying.

“I’m starting to figure it out. I should hurry up and drink mine before you decide to steal it from me.”

They fell silent, both of them busy emptying their bowl as quickly as possible without burning their tongue either. Outside, Komaeda could hear the wind hurl and rage, and another unpleasant shiver ran through him. Thank god he wasn’t on the beach.

It shouldn’t be a surprise, after all these years : he had always been lucky in his misfortune, anyway.

“Hey, by the way,” the human said with the voice of someone who was trying to pretend he hasn’t rehearsed what he was about to said a dozen of times in his head, “You didn’t tell me your name.”

Komaeda huffed at that.

“You didn’t ask.”

The other made a face.

“Urgh, fine. Whatever.” He said. “What’s your name ?”

“Rules of politeness would tell you to introduce yourself first, you know ?” Komaeda replied.

“Asshole. Whatever.”

The human shrugged, and focused his attention back on his - now empty - bowl. He grimaced, then turned toward Komaeda.

“I’m going to get some. Do you want more ?”

Komaeda gave him his bowl, and as the human took it from him, he finally opened his mouth.

“Komaeda. Nagito Komaeda.”

The human’s eyes widened when he understood what Komaeda had just said.

“Oh cool. I… hum… I’m Hajime Hinata.”

“Ha-ji-me Hi-na-ta” Komaeda repeated, enjoying the musicality of the name as it rolled on his tongue.

He didn’t think much of his little humming, but then he realized that Hinata had frozen in front of him. His eyes were half-lidded, and intense, and a deep blush appeared on his cheek. And suddenly, Komaeda thought about what he had done. Singing.

The stories of mermaids enchanting humans with their songs might have been true, but they belonged to the past - at least in the Novoselic Kingdom. Mermaids loved to sing, but they also were careful to stay away from humans.

Luckily, Komaeda had barely sung. The damage shouldn’t be too important.

“Hum… Hinata ?” He tried, hoping that it would snap him out of it. “My bowl ?”

Hinata shook his head, finally escaping the transe that had fallen upon him, and Komaeda let out a relieved breathe. _No singing while you’re in the human world, got it ?_ It wasn’t his intention to leave behind him a bunch of lust-stuck and love-struck humans who would throw themselves in the sea to follow him once the curse would be lifted.

_If the curse gets lifted,_ a voice reminded him. _If you find the Princess and brings her back before three days pass._

“Alright, I’m beat” Hinata yawned after they were both done eating in silence. “You’re good with sleeping now ?”

Komaeda nodded, wondering if he would even be able to sleep, what with the storm and all… but it’s not like there was anything else for him to do there.

He stayed awake for a while, all his senses focusing on the wind and the rain outside. Desperate, he did his best to focus on something else, anything else… and this anything else turned out to be Hinata’s steady breathing. He managed to calm himself by copying his slow, deep rhythm, and eventually managed to fall asleep.


	3. CHAPTER THREE : When the wind dies down

When Komaeda woke up the next morning, the storm was over. He couldn’t hear any rain or wind outside, and the overwhelming tension from the day before had dissipated. Not unlike a lover, who begs for forgiveness after a violent quarrel, the weather seemed kind and peaceful, a ray of sunshine coming through the window to light up the shelter he had been offered for the night.

He needed a few seconds to remember everything that had happened the day before : Sonia who had gone missing, his banishment and… his transformation. With shaky hands, he touched his new legs to make sure they were still there.

They were.

“Hey, you’re awake ?”

Komaeda was startled by the voice, and turned toward where it was coming from. Hinata was sitting at the table, a few meters away from Komaeda’s mattress. He had a pile of toasts in front of him, was still dressed with the clothes he wore in bed, and had the trace of a pillow on his cheek. He couldn’t have been awake for too long.

Komaeda sat up slowly, and the smell of food made his stomach growl.

“You can get some, too.” Hinata tilted his head toward the plate. “I made some for you too. Sorry, I don’t know how to cook anything better.”

Komaeda ran a hand through his hair, cringing when he noticed that it had turned into a huge mess of knots during the night. He would have to take care of that later, but for now he focused on Hinata’s words.

“Why ?” He asked, curious. “Shouldn’t you be able to cook if you are living alone ?”

Hinata frowned.

“I’m only seventeen, give me a break.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t be living alone if you’re still seventeen.”

“Well, aren’t you glad that I am living alone after tonight ? Your sorry ass would have frozen to death left alone on the beach.” Hinata replied without missing a beat. “Also I’m feeding you, so no matter my lack of skills, a thank you would be nice.”

Komaeda rolled his eyes.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

It was clear that the human wouldn’t answer any of his questions, but that didn’t stop his brain from wondering about his situation. He had noticed the day before that Hinata seemed… quite young and he has been right : the human was only a few months older than he was.

Komaeda didn’t know a lot about humans, but he doubted it was normal for people as young as that to have their own houses, away from their family. Mermaids had to live with their parents until they were sixteen at least, but most of them stayed with them for much longer. And even if they moved away, they rarely left the Kingdom. Mermaids knew that being together made them stronger.

“Anyway, that’s how it is,” Hinata shrugged and bit in a toast. “What are you planning to do today, by the way ? Do you have people to go to ? And, hum, well… would you like me to do to the police station with you or something ?”

Komaeda frowned at the last words. Hinata had muttered them awkwardly, clearly uneasy with the topic, as if he would have given everything to not talk about it.

“The… police station ?” He repeated.

He had a vague idea of what ‘police’ was, but he had no idea why Hinata was suggesting for him to go the authorities. They human grimaced at Komaeda’s question, reluctant to elaborate. Still, in front of Komaeda’s clueless expression, he didn’t exactly had the choice.

“Yes, the police station. Don’t tell me you aren’t going to try anything against the bastards who did this to you ?” He asked, an angry light in his eyes.

Komaeda stared at the human blankly, wondering if he somehow suffered from amnesia : he really felt like he was missing an entire chapter in the book. Whatever Hinata was talking about, he had no idea.

“ _Who_ did _what_ to me ? You are the first h-person I’ve met in this town, so I don’t know who are these people you are talking about.”

“So what ?” Hinata bit back, sounding a bit hurt and a bit aggressive - Komaeda was starting to realize that the second was a consequence of the first in Hinata’s case. “Yesterday, you were just chilling on the beach, naked and bruised for no reason at all ? Was it a spur of the moment, or is it like a hobby for you ?”

Komaeda raised an eyebrow, but before he had the time to reply, Hinata pinched the bridge of his nose and kept going, a bit calmer.

“Sorry. _Sorry_. That was uncalled for.” He sighed loudly. “Listen, I don’t know you, you don’t know me, and if you don’t want to talk to me about yesterday you don’t have to. Just… don’t feed me some bullshit. I really feel like you are mocking me.”

Wordlessly, Komaeda nodded. He finally realized what Hinata had deduced from his… unusual appearance the day before. Even if his theory was completely off, he was relieved that the human had thought about an excuse in his place. It also explained why Hinata had helped him. He wasn’t just nice, he was…

_Do you like to see yourself as a hero, uh, Hinata ?_

Komaeda gazed at the human and smiled, without even meaning to. It was a bit pathetic, but quite lovely, in a way. Once he noticed his staring, Hinata glared at him in return, cheeks flaming red from his embarrassment, and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Komaeda’s smile widened.

Komaeda hadn’t realized how starved he was. Hinata’s food might not have been as good as the one he was used to in the Palace, but it was still hard for him to not devour everything on sight. Human’s food wasn’t that bad, he decided. Well, coffee was absolutely terrible - Hinata smirked at the grimace he did after taking his first sip - but bread, rice, eggs and juices were great. He still side-eyed the little fishes Hinata swallowed in one bite, but didn’t dare to let the words burning his tongue to escape his mouth.

“Have you been in town for long ?” Hinata asked him at some point. “I don’t remember ever seeing you around.”

Komaeda hummed, and chew slowly on his food to give himself the time to think carefully about his next words. He decided that going with the truth would be the best policy… minus a few details.

“Not really,” he admitted. “I just arrived yesterday. I’m just here to find someone, and then I’ll go back where I come from. It shouldn’t take more than a few days.”

Hinata nodded, looking genuinely interested.

“You have to find someone ?” He asked with a smile. “What do you mean ? Are we talking about someone running away, or a kidnapping ?”

“Eh… that’s a good question.” Komaeda replied. “She was really interested in coming here, I guess. But I don’t think she planned to do it that way.”

Hinata snorted a bit at his answer. He opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, an electronic device that had been there, on the table, all this time, started to vibrate loudly. Hinata threw an apologetic look at Komaeda then checked it. He rolled his eyes and grumbled a few unpleasant words before putting it back where it was.

“Ugh, sorry. What were we talking about already ? Some girl who wanted to come here and ran away from home ?” Hinata shook his head. “That sounds crazy.  Who would be interested in coming here ? It’s a small town with nothing interesting beside the sea. And even so, the beach a few kilometers to the south is a lot more beautiful and tourist-friendly.”

Komaeda hoped they could move on from this topic quick.

“She was always an eccentric,” he replied with a sigh. “I never understood her obsession, but that’s how it is. Her family really wants her back, though.”

“Oh !” Hinata’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Is it some kind of forbidden love story type of deal ? Let me guess, don’t say anything ! She is the adventurous daughter of a rich, powerful businessman who thought it would be a good idea to fall for a biker with a leather jacket ?”

“Huh…” Komaeda blinked a few times, taken aback. “I guess you’re not totally wrong, but you’re not really right either. You have… a lot of imagination.”

Hinata pointed his thumb against his torso, grinning like a child.

“Well, I’m a writer, so it’s my job to have a lot of imagination.” Then, he lost his smile and his panache before he kept going. “Well, it will be my job, when I actually manage to publish something. Though, the ‘forbidden love-story’ plot is a bit overdone these days. Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Iseult, Angel and Buffy… in this day and age, it’s a cliché.”

Komaeda smiled at Hinata’s words.

“If there are so many of them out there, isn’t it because they inspire people ?”

Hinata nodded.

“You’re right. But I always thought these kinds of stories set unrealistic standards for love stories. Everyone want epicness, tears and blood. They want the stories they see in the books, but most people aren’t brave enough to go through with it when it happens in real life.” The human tilted his head on the side. “Well, I guess it’s not just love stories. Books make you believe you’re bound to be the hero of your own story. That one day you’ll be swept away by adventure and finally start living your life the way you always wanted to, you know ?”

Hinata’s eyes were a bit unfocused, and Komaeda felt almost weird to break his train of thoughts.

“Ah, I wouldn’t know. I’ve never read stories like that.”

Hinata narrowed his eyes, staring at Komaeda.

“Wait… you never read any stories before ? Where have you been living ?”

“In a place where there isn’t a lot of books ?” Komaeda replied, tentatively.

The bottom of the sea wasn’t exactly the best place to keep books safely. There were stories amongst the merfolk, of course, but they were told, not read. The founding myth of the Novoselic Kingdom was engraved into the doors of the Palace, but most of the mermaids didn’t know how to read anyway. Komaeda himself, despite having gone through the same classes than Sonia, was far from being a good reader.

Hinata was looking at him with such insistence and suspicion that Komaeda wanted to shrink into a moray’s hole. Luckily, the human’s attention was once again diverted by the small device on the table. Hinata picked it up once more, and seemed aggravated at whatever he was seeing on the screen. He almost threw it back on the table with an annoyed sigh.

Two seconds later, the device went off again.

“Are you kidding me ?” Hinata said under his breath. He looked at Komaeda with a grimace. “Urgh, don’t mind me. It’s a friend of mine. He met a girl, and he is already all over her.”

“Oh.” Komaeda replied, unsure of what he was supposed to say.

Hinata seemed content with venting without Komaeda’s input.

“It’s just how it is with him. Anytime he sees a pretty face in the crowd, he imagines that he is in love with the girl it belongs to. Then I’m supposed to take him seriously when he gets ‘heartbroken’ when she rejects him the first chance she gets.”

“Huhu…”

Komaeda had never been in Hinata’s shoes. Actually, his only experience with this kind of behaviour was through Sonia :  there was nothing more effective than a beautiful kind-hearted princess to attract unwanted attention. More than once, and ever since Sonia was twelve, Komaeda had to intervene when an ‘admirer’ showed a little too much enthusiasm in his courting.

Without realizing, he had stopped listening to Hinata’s rambling until a word pulled him away from his own thoughts.

“... mermaid. Can you believe it ?” Hinata shook his head.

“Wait, what ?” Komaeda blurted out. “What did you say ?”

“I said,” Hinata repeated with a sigh, “that Kazuichi - my friend - uses terrible metaphors, and as a writer I can’t stand it. Mermaid, are you kidding me ? Who uses this word seriously nowadays ? Uh… are you okay ?”

Komaeda was frozen, mouth and eyes wide open. What were the chances ? He wondered. His heart was beating wildly inside his chest, and the delightful, warm light of hope embraced him.

“Hinata.” He said. “Where is your friend ?”

*

“Are you going to explain to me why we are going at the aquarium ? It’s the holidays, the place is going to be full of screaming children, you know ?”

“I will when we’ll be there,” Komaeda replied with no intention to make his words true.

He wished he didn’t need Hinata’s help anymore, but even when Komaeda had managed to make him say that Kazuichi was working a summer job at _Nausicaa_ , the small aquarium in town and only real touristic attraction in town ( according to Hinata ), he was stuck on where it was and how to get there.

So, he needed Hinata’s help, again. But he couldn’t explain him why, of course. First, because Komaeda wanted to avoid spreading the news that mermaids were real as much as possible. Second, because he couldn’t see Hinata accepts his story just like that. He would have to explain again and again, to convince him without any proof... And time was his enemy in this whole story.

“Okay, okay,” Hinata replied.

He sounded impatient, but also curious. His hand was closed around Komaeda’s, and even though the mermaid felt a little more confident in his walking skills, he didn’t question it. He could walk faster if the human was there to make sure he didn’t trip on his own feet, after all.

They reached a more animated part of town, and Komaeda was floored by how… lively the human world felt around him. Under the sea, everything was a bit more quiet, calm, peaceful. But there, the noises were raw, overwhelming. The colours were bright, and Komaeda didn’t know where to look between the people, the shops, the houses, the streets…

He felt Hinata’s hand tightened around his.

“Are you okay ? You look a bit… pale. More than usual, even.”

Komaeda blinked rapidly, and tried to focus on the human’s face.

“Yes, I’m fine.” He lied. “I… are we there soon ?”

Hinata nodded.

“Yeah, it’s just around the corner. I told Kazuichi we were coming, by the way. There is way too many people at the aquarium today, so he will be waiting for us at the entrance.” He explained. Then, with a pointed look toward Komaeda. “I still have no idea why you are dragging me into this hell hole. If you’re already overwhelmed right now, I don’t think the aquarium is a good place for you.”

Komaeda didn’t mention that ‘dragging’ was a strong word, since Hinata had held his hand and lead the way ever since they had left his house. Instead, he started to worry about the crowd he would find at the aquarium. If Sonia was there, then how was he supposed to get to her and to help her escape in the middle of this capharnaüm ?

“I didn’t think it through,” Komaeda replied without thinking. “I didn’t think… it would be that bad. I need to see her and make sure that she is fine, no matter what.”

“Her ?” Hinata frowned. “Who ?”

_Shit_.

“Er…” Komaeda started.

“Hey, Hajime !” A voice yelled, saving Komaeda from having to answer.

They turned around, Komaeda raised an eyebrow at the strange attire the newcomer was in. Not only Kazuichi ( since it was him ) had pink hair, but he was also wearing a bright jumpsuit. When he smiled, his teeth looked like the ones of shark. Komaeda was startled by the teenager’s appearance. Hinata looked a lot more like your usual ‘human’, but Kazuichi clearly wanted to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

“Oh, hi, Kazuichi,” Hinata waved at him as he was coming closer. “Sorry to bother you. You don’t have too much work, with all these people ?”

Kazuichi shook his head.

“Nah. I’m only taking care of the technical stuff, you know ? Whether we have ten or a thousand people, we still have the same amount of bassins.” He grinned. “The guides are working like crazy, though. I just came back from the grocery store. I bought some stuff for Owari and Mioda, they didn’t have the time to take a lunch break.”

Hinata smiled and pat his friend on the back.

“You’re a good guy, Kazuichi.”

“Heh, well, you know.” Kazuichi shrugged it off, embarrassed. “Anyway, what was the emergency. Came to see the lovely mermaid that owns my heart ?”

“Ugh, no” Hinata said at the same time as Komaeda said. “Yes, we are !”

Hinata threw him a dirty look, and Kazuichi looked at him, acknowledging his existence.

“I like the enthusiasm, Haji could try sometimes.” He laughed. “Did I met you already ?”

“He is just a friend,” Hinata replied as if it was nothing. Kazuichi seemed a bit confused, then his eyes fell on their linked hands, and his smile became so wide that Komaeda wondered if his face was going to split in two. He wiggled his eyebrows and Hinata’s cheeks flamed up. “It’s a _friend_. I have friends beside you, you know.”

Komaeda was left alone in the middle of their discussion, half-listening, half-trying to think up a strategy to get to Sonia and get her out of the aquarium. He still felt a warm sensation settle in his stomach when Hinata called him a ‘friend’. Sure, it was probably just to avoid the long tale of their meetings, but it still sounded… nice.

Still, as charming as their banter was, Komaeda was on a mission.

“I really need to talk to Sonia,” he said to Kazuichi, very seriously.

The pink-haired teenager fell quiet immediately. He looked confusedly at Komaeda, as if trying to figure out something.

“Shit, wow.” He let out. “How do you know about her ?” His eyes went from Komaeda to Hinata, and his expression turned sour. “Did you tattle ? I told you it was a secret. We aren’t allowed to talk about it, it’s like. Government orders. I just had to tell you that she was the woman of my life and that I couldn’t live without her anymore, because you are my soul-friend, but I thought I could trust you !”

Hinata frowned.

“What are you babbling about Kazuichi ? Is it about the your new crush ?” He threw an annoyed look at Komaeda. “Is this the girl you are supposed to bring back to her family ? This Sonia ? You could have told me, you know, it would have been better than keeping me in the dark.”

Kazuichi sighed, as if he was bearing the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.

“What a mess. Whatever. I can show her to you, but no babbling around, okay ?” Kazuichi said. “The higher-ups will have my necks if they know I spoke about her. Also, she is mine, get it ? No falling in love with my girl, it’s the bro-code, am I right ?”

Hinata gave him a flat look.

“Yeah, whatever.”

Komaeda and Hinata followed Kazuichi. They went around the crowd - which was, as Hinata had predicted, full of crying children and resigning parents - and entered the aquarium through a back door. The narrow corridor they walked through was almost empty except for a stern-looking girl with pigtails and glasses.

“Souda, what you are you doing here ?” She asked. She looked behind him, and noticed the intruders. She sighed. “You are not allowed to bring strangers here, you know that ?”

Kazuichi grimaced.

“Oh, hey, Pekoyama. Five minutes, I swear !” He begged. “I promise we won’t be there long, and no one will know anything. Also, don’t tell me you didn’t tell about her to Kuzu, right ? We can all bend the rules in a responsible way.”

Pekoyama narrowed his eyes at him.

“I… suppose I can pretend I didn’t notice you.” She shook her head. “At this rate, the entire world will know about her. Oh, also…” She hesitated. “Gundham is with her right now.”

Kazuichi gave Pekoyama a thumb up.

“Heh, of course he is with her, it’s his job, right ? Taking care of the aquarium residents. No big deal !”

The human woman pinched her lips, as if she was dying to say something, but eventually decided against it. Kazuichi turned toward Hinata and Komaeda and gestured for them to follow him, before he disappeared in the corridor. They both looked at each other, Komaeda noticing how confused Hinata looked and feeling a bit sorry for him.

“Sorry for not telling you sooner,” Komaeda whispered to him.

He was surprised to find that he was honest. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to warn him of the discovery he was about to make. They followed Kazuichi as he was almost running toward his ‘beloved’, and they finally reached one of the bassin who was not open to the public.

Komaeda saw Sonia first. She looked healthy and happy, and he felt relief fill his chest. Sitting on the edge of the bassin, she was brushing her hair, and giggling at whatever a human was telling her. He felt like he had seen the human somewhere before, and he needed a few seconds to realize that it was the the human Sonia had noticed on the beach.

_Are you kidding me ?_ Komaeda wanted to laugh at the coincidence. _What were the odds ?_

He felt the exact moment Hinata noticed Sonia, too. He froze next to him and even stopped breathing for a moment. Komaeda didn’t dare looking at him, and yet he heard perfectly the first words that came out of his mouth.

“ _What the fuck_?”


	4. CHAPTER FOUR : When you are guided by the stars

Their journey back home happened in an atmophere that could only be described as ‘tense’. Hinata hadn’t uttered a word during the ten minutes they have been in Sonia’s presence, and Komaeda has almost hesitated to follow him when he coldly announced that he was leaving.

He has hesitated... then he has realized that he didn’t exactly have the choice, and that Hinata was pretty much his only help for as long as he was in the human world. If Hinata made it clear that he couldn’t stand Komaeda’s existence, then he could tell him so himself, and Komaeda would be able to find another solution. Perhaps he could convince Kazuichi to help him, by using the devotion he had for Sonia.

Perhaps.

Hinata didn’t stop him from following. Quite the contrary, even : he threw a couple of ( meant to be discreet ) glances behind him during the entire time they were travelling back to his house, making sure that Komaeda was still on his heels.

It’s only then that Komaeda noticed how far away from the town center Hinata’s house was : they almost needed an hour to get there. During their walkt to the aquarium, Komaeda had been content to let Hinata guide him, while he was too busy being overwhelmed by everything, admiring the world around him, drowing himself in the colors, the sounds, the smells...

He would have never been able to go back to their starting point by his own means.

Yet, as they were walking in silence, tension and unsaids weighted heavy on their shoulders, and Komaeda would have done anything for their journey to be shorter.

He took this opportunity to think about _the_ good news of the day : Sonia was perfectly safe and sound, though a bit caged, and giddy to find out more about the world she has observed from afar for so long.

_“I was so ignorant about the human world, this is shameful, truly !” She explained to him with stars in her eyes. “I’m so grateful that Gundham taught me so many things since I arrived here, you can’t even imagine ! Do you know that human women use something called ‘shampoo’ for their hair, and after they’re done, they have to use a ‘conditioner’, which is basically another ‘shampoo’ ? Isn’t that fascinating ?_

_She seemed really happy to repeat these foreign words again and again, not unlike a child who would be ecstatic to receive a toy, but wouldn’t know how to properly use it. Despite the situation they were in, Komaeda couldn’t help but smile, seeing her so happy._

“We’re here.” Hinata announced sternly when they reached his little house.

He didn’t spare a look in Komaeda’s direction, and couldn’t see the nod Komaeda gave him as a response. He followed the human inside, hoping that being in a familiar place would pacify him, but he stayed quiet, stubbornly staring at everything that wasn’t Komaeda. Slowly, he walked to a chair and collapsed on it.

The mermaid decided that he had to take the first step.

“You have questions.”

Hinata turned toward him. When he replied, his words were dripping with anger and cynicism.

“You think so ?” He hissed. “Uh, I wonder what could have tipped you off ? I… hell, Komaeda ! I thought you were someone normal ! Someone who needed my help, someone a little lost, sure. Someone who was attacked in the middle of night on the beach by some creep lurking around… but no ! Instead, you are…”

He stopped mid-sentence, and he glanced at him, detailing him. His face managed to look even more tense than it was before.

“What are you exactly ?” He finally asked, though he sounded like he was afraid to.

Komaeda crossed his arms in front of his chest. He didn’t know Hinata. He didn’t - couldn’t - affirm that he trusted him, because that would have been ridiculous. Yet, Komaeda knew, deep inside, that the human wouldn’t try to hurt him. This feeling was born for nothing, and maybe he was wrong, but Hinata had helped him the day before, without asking anything in return. Despite his grumblings and complaints, he still had come with him to the aquarium. No matter how much he claimed that Kazuichi was annoying, there was a real affection between the two of them, that much was obvious….

Hinata was a good person, Komaeda decided. That was the truth, plain and simple. And if Hinata was a good person, then maybe he could bend the his self-imposed rules, just a bit.

“I’m a mermaid.” He admitted, his heart beating like a drum.

Hinata locked eyes with him, searching for something. Komaeda didn’t know what he found exactly, but no matter what it was, the human’s posture relaxed slightly. His tense, harsh expression turned into something a bit softer and… curious ?

“Like Sonia ?”

“Well, sort of ?” Komaeda wasn’t sure what Hinata meant by that. “We come from the same place : the Novoselic Kingdom. It’s not too far away from the coast, a few miles away, maybe. That’s where we grew up, Sonia and I. Sonia is the crown princess of the Kingdom, and I don’t know all the details, but she was caught by humans yesterday, and I was sent here in the human world by her parents to find her and get her back. Thus, the legs.” He took a deep breath. “Honestly, it hasn’t been a day yet, and I found her already. Luck is on my side on this one.”

“Huh…” Hinata replied, lost in thought.

With a tilt of a head, Hinata asked Komaeda to sit on the couch. Then, he busied himself in the small kitchen, turning on the gas and setting the kettle on the flames. Komaeda stared at him, full of questions, and when Hinata noticed, he managed a weak smile of his own.

“I need tea. Want some ?”

Komaeda shrugged, and Hinata grimaced.

“Er… I suppose you don’t even know what ‘tea’ is right ? Honestly, it’s crazy, I almost can’t believe the stories you are feeding me but…”

He paused. Komaeda kept waiting, hoping that his human would tell him what was inside his head.

Well, the human.

Hinata smiled again, looking embarrassed.

“One part of me wants to believe you, if that makes any sense. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life, I… damn, can you imagine if I had taken another way home last night ? Someone else would have helped you, and I would just be living my life without realizing what was going on so close to me.”

Or I’d be dead, frozen, Komaeda thought.

“So, you’re not angry ?” He asked.

Hinata shook his head.

“I really feel like you treated me like an idiot. You knew I was about to meet a… a mermaid, and you didn't tell me anything ! A mental prep would have be nice you know !”

“I didn’t know how…”

“But,” Hinata interrupted him. “To answer your question no, I’m not angry. I don’t know what I’m feeling. It’s like… a mess.”

The tea was ready, and Hinata poured it for the two of them, hands shaking a little. Komaeda was starting to be worried for the human. He wondered if the shock still hadn’t worn down. Though, he looked more exalted than anything else.

“Are you okay ?” He asked anyway.

“Yeah, I guess,” Hinata blew on his cup. Despite his claim, Komaeda could see how dilated his pupils were, and how short his breath was. He could bet that his heart was beating wildly against his chest.

“I just wonder how Kazuichi could take it so well,” he chuckled. “Sonia really bewitched him, uh ?”

_Bewitched_ , hum ? Komaeda didn’t like to think about this possibility. Sonia loved to sing, though, and if even Komaeda had slipped the night before, it was possible that Kazuichi was under Sonia’s spell. If that was the case, they would have to take care of it before they returned in the ocean, or the consequences could be… terrible.

“I hope it’s not what happened,” he admitted.

Hinata raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean ?”

“A long time ago, mermaids used to lure sailors into the sea. They charmed them, and convinced them to throw themselves in the ocean, where they drowned.” Komaeda explained. Horror appeared on Hinata’s face, and the mermaid quickly added : “No one is doing that anymore. It’s part of our mythos, but mermaids nowadays just try to stay away from humans. Some mermaids even try and save humans when they are caught in storms. I just wanted you to understand that in order to draw these sailors in, they had to be irresistible. Mermaids are able to charm humans and back in the days, they made them fall in love and in lust with them.” He shook his head, hoping he was clear enough for Hinata. “You can see it as a weapon. It acts whether we want it or not.”

Hinata blinked a few times, the information sinking in. Then, looking uncomfortable, he scratched the back of his head.

“So that’s why ?” His cheeks reddened. “I guess that explains… well, it makes sense.”

Komaeda frowned. He had anticipated fear, fascination, curiosity, awkwardness, but Hinata’s reaction was… unexpected.

“What do you mean ?”

“Oh, you know.” The human waved in the general direction of Komaeda. “It’s not your fault if you can’t help it but it’s possible that your… hm… mermaid’s powers affected me a bit ? Not like Kazuichi of course, _he is really acting like a moron_ , but you know, still something.”

Komaeda felt his jaw fell. Hinata seemed terribly embarrassed, but it was nothing when compared to the mortification he was about to put him through. Tenderness overwhelmed him once more - this human was very good at making his heart melt.

“Hinata, I…” He stumbled upon his words. It’s almost shyly that he explained how this ‘attraction’ could happen. “Mermaids lured the sailors with their voice. They sang to them, and it made them crazy and… since the goal was to push humans to kill themselves, it’s all or nothing, it’s not possible to be only ‘a bit’ affected by it. So I don’t know what kind of attraction you are talking about, but it has nothing to do with me, I promise.”

He was rambling. His words hit Hinata like a truck, and the human was struck with horror. Ashamed, he buried his face between his arms, face against the table. Komaeda heard him mumble a few unintelligible words.

The picture was so ridiculous, Komaeda couldn’t help but smile - a smile that he hid behind his hand, aware that Hinata probably wanted to disappear in the ground at this exact moment. He suppressed a laugh, and put his hand on his human’s shoulder.

“There is no shame in expressing feelings that way,” Komaeda told him. “It’s quite natural for your species. And even if I’m probably the worst person to receive them, I’m very flattered, Hinata.”

It wasn’t a lie. He barely knew Hinata, but he didn’t mind as much as he thought he would the idea that he had developed some kind of feelings for him. Maybe Hinata’s brain was too confused, lost in the middle of the thousand emotions he was feeling right now, and that it was the reason of this sudden attraction.

If Komaeda was okay with it, it might also have been because he knew that nothing could ever come out of it. Komaeda and Hinata’s ways would split up with no chance of finding each other again, and it made everything easy, somehow.

Safe.

After some additional pouting, Hinata’s eyes appeared from behind his arms.

“I don’t have feelings, alright ?” He hissed, annoyed. “I’m just saying that from an _objective_ point of view, you - and Sonia - are _objectively_ attractive ? I mean, for mermaids ?”

Komaeda smiled at him, brightly.

“It’s a high praise, to be compared to the princess _objectively_. Thank you, Hinata.”

“Shut up,” Hinata replied without heat.

“Shutting up !” Komaeda giggled.

Hinata glared at the mermaid but sat up, facing Komaeda with all the fierceness he could gather.

“So… what are you planning to do ?”

Komaeda sighed. Getting the princess out, of course. With her full cooperation, if possible. He hoped it would be the case, but when he had discussed it with Sonia, she had seemed disappointed to see her adventures end so quickly.

_“Komaeda !” She yelled at him, happily. Then her eyes fell on the lower part of his body. “Oh my god, you have legs ? I can’t believe it !”_

_Komaeda bowed curtly._

_“They are temporary, I assure you, princess. The King your father gave them to me so I could come here and rescue you. Please tell me you are treated well ?”_

_He decided to skip the part where the legs were more a punishment than anything else : Sonia hadn’t meant to get caught and even if she had, she hadn’t meant to cause him trouble. The princess nodded firmly at Komaeda’s question, her long, beautiful hair flying gracefully around her head._

_“Oh, I couldn’t be treated better !” She grinned. “I’ve met so many interesting people since I’m here !” She quickly glanced at Gundham who was looking at their exchange with a stoïc interest. “I was terrified when I got caught, but the humans didn’t know what to do with me, and here I am”_

_“I see, that’s a good thing that you weren’t sent too far from the sea,” Komaeda replied. “We need to find a way to get you out of here, as soon as possible.”_

_Kazuichi, who has been lurking around, interrupted their discussion._

_“Hey, hey, hey !” He said, annoyed. “Miss Sonia doesn’t have to leave right now, right ? Didn’t she say that she like being here ? I’m not going to let you kidnap her ! Sometimes families are shit, and you don’t have to go back to them !”_

_Sonia looked at Kazuichi, confused._

_“Ah… unfortunately I can’t abandon my country.” She sighed. “I wish I could stay here for a while, but my people needs me.” She looked at Komaeda. “Can it wait until tomorrow ? It’s not like it will be easy to leave right now anyway, right ?”_

_Gundham opened his mouth for the first time :_

_“The Dark Lady is right,” he announced. “This Castle is an over-crowded prison of doom, where sinners gather to forget about the world. No matter how much energy I deploy, I can’t guarantee that I’d be able to help her to escape.”_

_Sonia put a hand on her chest, hurt._

_“You want me gone, Gundham ? I thought we were getting along quite well !”_

_Gundham held his hand for the princess to take it, and she smiled doing so._

_“I believe that each creature belongs to its own world, and this one isn’t yours, not more than it is mine, for I am just a temporary visitor. It is my duty to make sure that the Princess of the Underworld get back to her Tower.”_

_“I understand,” Sonia replied. “I have to go back, you are right.”_

_Kazuichi butted in the conversation._

_“The best plan is to wait until tomorrow night. Everyone will be busy and tired after this weekend, and we’ll be able to help her escape, and bring her to the sea. Sounds good ?”_

_“I…” Komaeda grimaced._

_He supposed he could wait, indeed. If it was just one more day…_

_“I suppose we can wait until tomorrow, then.” He said._

_“Thank you Komaeda !” Sonia brightened. “I promise I didn’t mean to worry anyone in the Novoselic. I just got caught up in the moment. Everything is crazy, isn’t it ?”_

_“Yes,” Komaeda replied, “You can say that again”._

“To follow Kazuichi and Gundham’s plan, I suppose.” Komaeda said to Hinata. “I don’t really have the choice. I came here with three days to find her and bring her back, I can give her one more day of freedom before we go back to the Novoselic Kingdom. Maybe it will calm her adventurous urges for a year or two.”

He didn’t have that much hopes on that front, though.

Hinata hummed.

“So… do you want to stay here tonight ?”

Komaeda was surprised by the question.

“Really ?”

“Yes, really. Now that I’m in, I’m in, you know ?” He laughed. “I just have one condition !”

Komaeda narrowed his eyes.

“Which one ?”

“I’m allowed to use everything about this crazy story in a book !” Hinata grinned. “Believe it or not, there is nothing better for inspiration than being dragged into the rescue of the crown princess of a magic, aquatic kingdom !”

“I… suppose you can,” Komaeda replied, unsure. “You can’t go around talking about our existence, or the humans will never let us alone. But I’m sure no one will think you are writing about real events if it’s in a novel, right ?”

“Exactly ! I’m going to write that it’s ‘inspired of real events’, though, just to see if they enjoy the joke, but only me - and Kazuichi, I suppose - will know that it really happened. Ah, I really want to start writing it now !”

Komaeda smiled.

“You can, don’t mind me.”

Hinata nodded.

“Okay, then. I guess you can read a book, if you are bored. I have… a lot of them.”

“Ah… I’m not the best reader. I would love to, though.”

Hinata’s expression turned thoughtful for a while, then he smiled :

“I think I have exactly the kind of book you will manage !”

And faced with such enthusiasm, how was he supposed to say no ?


End file.
